Rat-trap mechanism.



P. W. LOTZ.

RAT TRAP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION flLED nEc.23. 1914.

1,150,135. 1 Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Mfr/755555.' Inventur:

CoLUMmA PLANDGRAPH Co., WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

PHILIP W. LOTZ, F EAST BERLIN, CONNECTICUT.

RAT-TRAP MECHANISIVI.

To all whom it may concern l Be it 'known that I, PHILIP W. Lo'rz,

y a, citizen of the United States, residing at East Berlin, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain newA and useful lmprovements in Rat-Trap ,Mechanism, of which the following is a in broken lines.

specification. .Y

My invention relates to improvementsin rat trap mechanism, and the object of my ii'nprovementI is simplicity and economy in `construction and convenience and eficiency fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of

certain parts shownin Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a side elevation, m part broken out and on a reduced scale, ofa housing or casing for -my rat trap mechanism. Fig. `9 1s a plan view of the same. Y

My rat trap mechanism comprises a base 10 that serves asa support for the mechanism proper,`and which rests on the bottom of-the casing 11, an upright wall 12 vat the end corresponding tothe outer end of the casing V11, and at the other or inner end a second uprightwall 13.-

The outer upright wall 12 is incorporated in lthe front' wall `ofthe casing 11 and the inner upright wall 13 is similarly incorporated in a division wall of the` casing 11, and the entire mechanism'monnted on the base 10 .is self-contained andA is adapted to be i11- `serted into any suitable form of casing 11, it

being understood that if desired the mechanism-to be described may be mounted in the corresponding' parts ofthe casing, so that aseparate base 10 and upright wall portionsV 312 and 13 may be dispensed with.V

I Y ,..The outer upright wall 12 is provided` at the ulower portionV withA an opening-14C that.

serves-,as an 'entrancecontrolled byja sliding Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Application filed December 23, 1914. Serial No. 878,741.

oor 15, engaged with ways 16 on the inner ace.

A cord or wire 17 connects the sliding door 15 with the outer end of a lever arm 1S.

The arm 18` is pivotally supported adj acent the middle by means of a. pin 19 sup-` ported on an upright or standard 20; and serves vto lift the sliding door in a manner to be described, suitably to leave theentrance 14 open.

; After the sliding door -15 `has been lifted a lcatch 21 serves to hold the same in the elevated position. The catch 21 is formed of wire, has thebody portion generally vertical, is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end by 'means of a shaft 22y engaged with ears 23 provided on the outer upright wall 12, has a foot 2li at the lower end formed by a right angle bend, suitable for passing under and engaging with the lower edge of the sliding door 15 and thereby supporting the same, and has at the upper end a rearwardly directed arm 25` provided with a counterweight 26. The counterweight 26 tends to bring the catch 21 into position for supporting the sliding door in the manner described, is free to do this vwhen the same is lifted a suflicient amount,`and when the sliding door is closed the tip endof the foot 24 is held against the rear yface of the sliding door.

4A tripping arm 27 is positioned normally adjacent thefunder side of thel counterweight supporting arm 25, and serves ywhen lifted to 'raise the same and thereby to free the catch 21 from the sliding door 15, permitting the same to close by its own weight.

Extending along the base l() is a tripping platform 28, which is pivotallyl mounted adjacent the; middle' orf'slightly inwardly from the middle by means of a shaft 29 passing across the under-side and engaged by its ends with ears 30 provided on the base 10.

The position of the point of pivotal support for the tripping platform 28 is such that the inner end is Vnormally depressed and` the platform itself is positioned at a slight angle to lthe-'base 10.

1 At the outer end ofthe .platform 28 is an upright 31 of wire, the upper end of which `is bent generally horizontallysuitably 'to sog form the tripping arm 27 already mentioned. Accordingly, considering the normal position shown in'Fig. l1, with the trap set, the outer end of the tilting platform 28 is depressed, the tripping arm 27 is below the counterweight supporting arm 25, and the sliding door is held in the open position by the supporting branch A24E of the catch 21.

After an animal for which the trap is adapted has passed through the entrance 14 and passed over to the inner end 39 of thek tilting platform 28 the weight of the animal will tilt the same to the position shown in Fig. 5, and the catch 21 will be released from engagement with the sliding door 12, pern'iitting the same to drop and close, thus confining the animal to the position of the casing or housing 11 in which the mechanism ispositioned, and which portion serves as an entrance chamber. f

The inner upright wall 13 is provided with an opening 32, controlled by a swinging door 33. The said swinging door 33 is pivotally supported by means of a shaft 34, engaged by its ends with ears 35, provided onthe inner upright wall 13, positioned adjacent the -upper portion of the opening 32.v

The swinging door 33 is of rsuitable width to permit the same to swing inwardly through the doorspace or opening 32, as shown in Fig. 6, the lower end of the same is opposed to the free end 39 of the tilting platform 23, suitably to prevent the samener, and preferably confined and protected so that the animal will 4be unable to really have access thereto. Y rIhe upper end 36 of the swinging door 33 serves to open the sliding door 15 and thus reset the trap after the animal has pushed the swinging door 33 open and passed to the inner side thereof, and does this in the following manner. After the animal has tilted the platform 28 and closed the sliding door 15 the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5, in .which the extension 36 is engaged with the tip end of the inner end 37 of the lever 18. The said inner end 37 is in the form of a hook, being connected to the body portion of the lever 18 by a generally vertical branch 33, the

lever 13 being virtually in the form of a bell-crank.V Swinging the lower portion of the swinging door 33 inwardly serves 'to swing the upperfextension 36 thereof outwardly, as 'shown in Fig. 7 and serves to= raise the outer end of the lever 18, suitably chamber will seek an outlet, and will be enticed by the small opening 39 in the swinging door 33 to seek an outlet by way ofthe swinging door.

It is apparent that some changes from the specific construction herein disclosed may be made and therefore I do not wish to be un derstood as limiting myself to the precise formeof construction shown and described,

butdesire the liberty to make such changes,-

in working my invention, as may-fairly come within the spirit and scope of the same.

I claim as my invention 1. Rat trap mechanism comprising an` wall having an entrance, a division wall having an opening, atilting platform located between the said walls andr normally positioned in one position, a sliding door controlling the said entrance, a swinging door controlling the said opening and normally closed, al catch normally engagedk with the said sliding door'to yhold itin'the open p0- sition, means on the said platform operative when 'the same is tilted from the said normal position to release the said catch and the said catch comprising a swinging arm'having a pivotal support, and positioned at the rear of the said sliding door, having a pendent portion extending downwardly from thefsaid pivotal support, and a for,- wardly directed branch at the lower end of the said pendent portion, serving as the catch proper, and operative to `engage by its tip end with the rear face of thev said sliding door and for passing under the said sliding door into position for supporting the same, and having aweight arm extending rearwardly from the said pivotal support, and a weight supported thereby.

2. Rat trap mechanism comprising an endl wall having an entrance, a division wall having an opening, located between the said walls and normally positioned in one position, a sliding door controlling the said entrance, a swingingv door controlling the said opening and normally closed, a catch normally engaged with the said sliding door to hold it in the open position, means on the said platform operative when the same is tilted from the saidnormal position to release the said catch, and means operative when the said swinging door is swung inwardly to raise the said end y 9o a tilting platform' 1,150,135 e a 8 l sliding door to position of engagement With of movement of the said extension and enthe said catch, comprising in combination gaged thereby when the said swinging door 10 an upward extension of the said swinging is moved in one direction.

dooi` above the pivotal support therefor, a

levei1 pivotally supported and having the PHILIP W LOTZ' front end flexibly connected to the said slid- Y Witnesses:

ing door, and the rear arm portion of the Y S. E. RoBINs,

said lever comprising a free end in the line M. POLLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. GA 

